Alkyl phenyl sulfide derivatives having a pest control effect are described in patent literatures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6. However, the compounds described in the patent literatures 1, 2, 3 and 4 are restricted to alkyl phenyl sulfide derivatives having no substituent group on the alkylthio group; the compounds described in the patent literature 5 are restricted to alkyl phenyl sulfide derivatives having certain substituents on the phenyl ring; and the compounds described in the patent literature 6 are restricted to alkyl phenyl sulfide derivatives having a 2-bromoethylthio group as a substituent group. Thus, these patent literatures make no mention of an alkyl phenyl sulfide derivative having a substituent group other than bromine atom on the alkylthio group.
The follow-up experiment made on the compounds described in the above patent literatures revealed that, despite the description made therein, the compounds have an insufficient effect to spider mites, have no effect to spider mites which have acquired chemical resistance, and accordingly have no sufficient control effect.
Patent literature 1: JP-A-1975-29744
Patent literature 2: JP-A-1976-19121
Patent literature 3: JP-B-1982-35162
Patent literature 4: JP-A-1988-41451
Patent literature 5: JP-A-1992-312566
Patent literature 6: U.S. Pat. No. 3,388,167